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Rabat – Despite the continued fallout of the year-long political friction between Morocco, Moroccan nationals remain the largest group of foreigners to receive a France-issued Schengen visa in 2023.
Last year, France sparked frustration and backlash in Morocco with its decision to slash by 50% the number of visas issued to Moroccan nationals. Still, says a new report from Schengen Visa Info, Morocco remains the country to receive French Schengen visas this year.
According to a statement from French Ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, France is now implementing a decision aimed at reversing the visa restriction policy on Moroccan nationals.
“Applicants are treated in the best possible way, both in terms of reception, but also in terms of speed and rapidity for the issuance of the visas they are applying for,” Lecourtier was quoted saying in the report.
The same report specifies that the French consulate in Morocco’s capital Rabat has called on visa applicants to avoid intermediaries while filing for visa appointments.
In 2021, the decision to cut the quota of visas issued for Moroccan nationals as well as Algerian, and Tunisians by half sparked outrage among Moroccans who viewed the measure as unjustified. France said that the decision was the result of Morocco’s “unwillingness” to repatriate undocumented immigrants.
The decision even led several European NGOs to take legal action against the French consulates in Rabat and prompted many others to request refunds for individuals whose visa applications were denied.
In recent weeks, however, France seems to have revised its stance vis-a-vis Morocco. Paris has officially scrapped the visa restriction and is now focusing on reestablishing good ties with Morocco.
The spokesman for France’s Foreign Ministry, Anne-Claire, said last month that “there is no crisis” between Rabat and Paris.
In addition to the 2021 rift caused by the visa restriction, France’s ambiguous stance on the Western Sahara issue remains a challenge to full diplomatic rapprochement and high-profile strategic cooperation with Morocco.
Over the past months, many in Morocco have called on France to fully support Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Last month, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said France can no longer “be an observer” in the Sahara dispute.
In recent years, Morocco’s foreign policy, as well as economic operations, have been gradually moving away from near-full dependency on France. Many French experts are growing weary of the trend, fearing the end of France’s neo-colonial primary in its former colonies in Africa.
Read Also: Amid Unresolved Tensions, France Says ‘There Is No Crisis’ With Morocco
